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THE VOYAGE ALONE in the YAWL “ROB ROY,”
THE VOYAGE ALONE in the YAWL “ROB ROY,”
FROM LONDON TO PARIS, AND BY HARVE ACROSS THE CHANNEL TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT, SOUTH COAST, &c., &c. B y JOHN MACGREGOR, M.A., captain of ‘ the royal canoe club ,’ author of ‘ a thousand miles in the rob roy canoe ,’ ‘ the rob roy on the baltic ,’ ‘ the rob roy on the jordan ,’ &c. SIXTH EDITION . LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY limited . St. Dunstan’s House, Fetter Lane , Fleet Street , E.C. 1893 ( All rights reserved .) LONDON: printed by william clowes and
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PREFACE.
PREFACE.
In the earlier part of this voyage, and where it was most wished for, along the dangerous coast of France, fine weather came. Next there was an amphibious interlude to the Paris Exhibition, while the Rob Roy sailed inland. Thence her course over the sea brought the yawl across the broad Channel (100 miles) to Cowes and its Regattas, and to rough water in dark nights of thunder, until once more in the Thames and up the Medway she was under bright skies again. Cooking and sleeping on board, the wr
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CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER I.
Project—On the stocks—Profile—Afloat alone—Smart lads—Swinging—Anchors—Happy boys—Sea reach—Good looks—Peep below—Important trifles—In the well—Chart—Watch on deck—Eating an egg—Storm sail. It was a strange and pleasant life for me all the summer, sailing entirely alone by sea and river fifteen hundred miles, and with its toils, perils, and adventures heartily enjoyed. The two preceding summers I had paddled alone in an oak canoe, first through central Europe, and next over Norway and Sweden; bu
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
Sheerness—Governor—Trim—Earthquake—Upset—Wooden legs—On the Goodwin—Cuts and soars—Crossing the Straits—The ground at Boulogne—Night music—Sailors’ maps—Ship’s papers—Weather—Toilette—Section. Sheerness is on the whole a tolerable port to land at, that is, as long as you refrain from going ashore. The harbour is interesting and more lively than it appears at first sight, but the streets and shops are just the reverse. The Rob Roy ran into this harbour seven or eight times during her cruise, and
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
Russian lamp—Breakfast—Store rooms—Mast-light—Run down—Rule of the road—Signal thoughts—Sinking sands—Pilot caution—French coast. After a wash and morning prayers the crew are piped to breakfast, so we must now turn to the kitchen, which after constant use some hundred times I cannot but feel is the most successful “hit” in the whole equipment. Much thought and many experiments were bestowed on this subject, because, first, it was well known that the hard and uneven strain of bone, muscle, and e
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
Thunder—In the squall—The dervish—Sailing consort—Poor little boy!—Grateful presents—The dingey’s mission—Remedy—Rise and work. The aneroid barometer in my cabin pointed to “set fair” for many a day, and just, too, when we required it most to be fine, that is along the French coast. Had the Rob Roy encountered here the sort of weather she met with afterwards on the south coast of England, we feel quite assured she must have been wrecked ashore or driven out to sea for a miserable time. So it was
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
Cool—Fishwives—Iron-bound coast—Etretat—Ripples—Pilot-book—Hollow water—Undecided—Stomach law—Becalmed—Cape la Hève—The breeze—Havre de Grâce—Crazy. So much for Sunday thoughts; but after the day had ended, there happened to me an absurd misery, of the kind considered to be comical, and so beyond sympathy, but which must be told, and it happened thus:— The little yawl being anchored in the harbour had also a long rope to the quay, and by this I could draw her near the foot of an upright ladder o
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
The Seine—A wetting—Pump—Locks—Long reach—Rouen—Steering—A mistake—Horny hands—Henpecked—British flag—The captain’s wife. Havre was a good resting-place to receive and send letters, read up the newspapers, get a long walk, and a hot bath, and fresh water and provisions. Bacon I found, after many trials to cook it, was a delusion, so I gave mine to a steamboat in exchange for bread. Hung beef too was discovered to be a snare—it took far too long to cook, and was tough after all; so I presented a
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
Dull reading—Chain boat—Kedging—St. Cloud—Training-Dogs—Wrong colours—My policeman—Yankee notion.—Red, White, and Blue. The effect of living on board a little boat for a month at a time without more than three or four nights of usual repose, was to bring the mind and body into a curious condition of subdued life, a sort of contemplative oriental placid state in which both cares and pleasures ceased to be acute, and the flight of time seemed gliding and even, and not marked by the distinct epochs
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
Presents—The Emperor—Anecdote—The Abbé in London—A vert—Singing girl—English bird—Model—Old friend—The Turks—Guzzling—The friture. As they walked past the building where this travelled ship was shewn, many of the visitors seemed each to be reading a paper in his hands, while some have a gilt-edged book, and others a broadsheet with a large woodcut on it. These people have come past that other building, which seems to be all windows; and let us stop there a few minutes to see why the groups crowd
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
Paris Regatta—Absentees—Novelties—New Brunswickers—Steam yachts—Canoe race—Canoe chase—Entangled—M. Forcat—Challenge. While the voyage in the Rob Roy’s dingey on Sunday was such as we have described, it was a busy time a little further down the river at St. Cloud, being the first day of the Paris Regatta, which continued also on the Monday, and then our British Regatta occupied the next four days. These two were under separate committees. The British Regatta was managed by experienced oarsmen, a
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CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER X.
Dawn music—Cleared for action—Statistics—Blue Peter—Passing bridges—A gale—A shave—Provisions—Toilette—An upset—Last bridge—A peep below—Cooking inside—Preserved provisions—Soups. The Rob Roy was very pleasant lodgings when moved down to the lovely bend at St. Cloud. Sometimes she was made fast to a tree, and the birds sung in my rigging, and gossamers spun webs on the masts, and leaves fell on the deck. At other times we struck the anchor into soft green grass, and left the boat for the day, un
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CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
High tide—Seine pilot—To bed—Terrible scene—A tumble in—In the swell—Novel steeling—The Empress—Puzzled—Night thoughts—The Start—A draft on the deck—Balloon jib—On the deep. On the Seine there is a tide phenomenon, called the barre , as in English rivers the bore , which, when not provided for, is very dangerous, especially at spring tides. The water then rushes up the narrowing funnel-shaped estuary, in a broad and swelling wave, sometimes four feet high, and this will sweep off even large vess
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
Nodding—Prancing—First Thoughts—England—Mid-channel thoughts—Battle—Religion—Science—Church—Guide. Up rose the sun, and all was cheerful. Then I laid her to, and got out my axe, and chopped the bowsprit into shape, so that it would run out further, and then set the whole jib firmly on it. All the feelings restrained so long by the river work, and regatta amenities, and Exhibition in Paris, now came forth powerfully in a flow of enthusiasm. Boys seem to like the stories of the canoe voyages, and
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CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIII.
Half-seas over—Thick night—Risky—Reckless—Tied in—Lying-to—Land ahead—Scottish replies—Sleep. See the sails are impatiently flapping. Each wave jerks the mast and canvas with a smart loud crack like that of a whip. The sound is unspeakably irritating, it seems so useless and wanton, and so perfectly de trop while the wind is absolutely calm. At other times, in such a case, you can stop this provoking clatter by hauling up the boom and lowering the jib; but here, in mid ocean, we must not hamper
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CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XIV.
Heavy sea—Isle of Wight—The Commodore—A glance at gear—Bow—Running rigging—Sisterhooks—Horse—Tiller. The boy and his dog formed a small crowd on the little pier to see the Rob Roy start again with a fine breeze off shore, but freshening every minute until near Selsea Bill it blew half a gale. The navigation round this point is difficult at low water, as may be seen from the markings in the chart copied at page 245, merely as a specimen of what a chart is for the sailor’s eye. At last it was nece
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CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XV.
Ducklings—Victoria Park—Yachtsmen—Cowes—Floating family—The ‘Zara’—Lifeboats—Wrecked—Mop—An odd story—The law of anchors—Experiments—The Royal yacht. Medina Dock is the place to see all sorts of ships and boats for steam, sailing, or rowing, lifeboats, rafts, and models. The basin is full of broken-backed men-of-war whose old black bones are being disjointed and dragged asunder here to make strong knees again, just because they are black and well seasoned. Alongside the quay we had seen the thre
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CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVI.
The life-raft—A travelled hen—Prussian adventure—American—Going up-stairs—Portsmouth—Fair visitor—Cruises—A review—Questions. The ‘Nonpareil’ American life-raft was in Cowes after her Atlantic voyage of forty-three days at sea. Two of her three adventurous crew were Germans, who could speak English only imperfectly, and the third was a Yankee. This uncomfortable voyage was undertaken partly to promote the sale in England of these rafts, and partly to pay the three men by fees from visitors, whil
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CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVII.
Continental sailors—Mal de mer—Steam-launches—Punt chase—The ladies—Fireworks—Catastrophe—Impudence—Drifting yachts—Tool chest—Spectre ship—Where am I?—Canoe v . yawl—Selfish—Risk and toil—Ridicule. The regatta days opened with wind and rain; but even at the best of times, the sight of a sailing match from on shore is like that of a stag hunt from on foot,—very pretty at the start, and then very little more to see. It is different if you sail about among the competing yachts. Then you feel the s
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CHAPTER XVIII.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Bedtime—A trance—Thunderings—Chart—Light dims—Night flies—First running—Newhaven—On the gridiron—Mr. Smith—Tumbledown walls—Derelict. “Where is the yawl now?” was the question we had asked in the fog, and the natural answer was—that the chart would tell, of course. So let us look at the small slice of chart copied on page 245, which is crammed, you see, with figures of soundings, and names of banks, buoys, and beacons; but the only thing to be seen on the actual horizon around us, is the Owers l
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CHAPTER XIX.
CHAPTER XIX.
Tide waiter—Beachy Head—Night Ghost—Man overboard—Ship ahoy!—Overfalls—Thoughts—Thunder—A question—Day—Good-bye, dingey!—Dungeness—A nap. The barometer mounted steadily all Sunday, so we resolved to start next morning at break of day. But though the night was quiet the vessels near my berth were also getting ready, therefore at last I gave up all hopes of sleep, and for company’s sake got ready also after midnight, that we might have all the tide possible for going round Beachy Head, which, once
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CHAPTER XX.
CHAPTER XX.
Di Vernon—The Gull light—Naked warriors—Monkey—Medway—Eyes right!—Old things—Bargees—Street boys—Young skipper—Scene by night—Barge lingo—Holy Haven—Sailing solicitor—Margate. Perhaps a sleep in wet clothes, such as we have awakened from, was more likely to do harm than any of the blasts and breezes at sea; but nothing followed, and indeed during the whole of my six voyages alone there was neither a headache nor any other ache, not even a cold, and the floating medicine-chest yawl was never open
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CHAPTER XXI.
CHAPTER XXI.
Worcester—Swedish lesson—English boys—A prophecy—Letter—Request—Reply—The ‘Dolphin.’ Margate has often been abused, laughed at, and snubbed, but it has never yet been properly described. How shall I describe Margate? It is too difficult to do well, and it has been too often done badly to do it again. The men’s bathing here from boats with steps, like those at Malta, is sensible enough. Fine bold swimmers struck out well beside me in the water while I had my morning dip from the yawl. As for the
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ROYAL NAVY TRAINING SHIPS FOR BOYS.
ROYAL NAVY TRAINING SHIPS FOR BOYS.
There are Five regular Boys’ Training Ships for the Royal Navy , accommodating 3400 boys . The ‘Impregnable,’ and ‘Implacable’ (with ‘Lion’), at Devonport (for 700 boys); ‘Ganges,’ at Falmouth (500 boys); ‘St. Vincent,’ at Portsmouth (700 boys); and ‘Boscawen,’ at Portland (500 boys). To each is attached a brig for cruising during the summer months. The boys go through a regular course of instruction at school, in seamanship and in gunnery, till they are “rated,” after a year or a little more, a
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THE ROB ROY CUISINE.
THE ROB ROY CUISINE.
This has been designed after numerous experiments with the various portable cooking-machines which I could procure for trial, and, as it succeeds better than any of them, and has been approved by trial in five of my own voyages, and in another to Iceland, besides shorter trips, and in the Abyssinian campaign, &c., &c., it may be of some use to describe the contrivance here. The object proposed was to provide a light but strong apparatus which could speedily boil water and heat or
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IMPROVED ROB ROY BINNACLE AND COMPASS.
IMPROVED ROB ROY BINNACLE AND COMPASS.
Mr. Dent, of the Strand, has made the Life Boat Liquid Compass with several improvements suggested from the Rob Roy yawl, and after experiments permitted by the Life Boat Institution. These relate to the diagram on the card, the lamp with oil or candle, the reflectors, the ventilation, and the interior colouring of the binnacle, as well as other minor matters. In a second cruise of the yawl with my new binnacle, the great advantages desired were found to be attained. A fac-simile of the new Rob
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SEA DRESS.
SEA DRESS.
After six long voyages alone, a few remarks may be made on water toggery. Flannel all over to begin with. One grey flannel suit of “Norfolk jacket” and trousers lasted for three trips, but at sea the blue colour answers. Straw hat in sun, red woollen cap in wind, sou’wester in rain, thick boating jacket, and the life-belt over it, and above that an oilskin coat with overall trousers of the same, will defy wind and water. Woven waistcoat expanding limitless. Shoes and not boots for work, white ca
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SWIMMING FOR GIRLS.
SWIMMING FOR GIRLS.
The following appeared in the Times , July 3rd, 1878:— Hundreds of girls in London are learning to swim, but many hundreds more would gladly learn if teachers could be had. A healthful, cleanly, life-saving exercise like this ought not to be stinted of teachers. The boys have twenty public baths to learn in and the open water in Victoria Park, besides the dangerous, dirty canals. More than 1500 boys are learning to swim as paying members of the London Schools Swimming Club, which is open to all
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